Metal-working machine.



PATENTED DEC. 31, 1907; N. E. CLARK. F

I METAL WORKING MACHINE.

APPLIOATIOH FILED APR. 13, 1 ao7.

a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED DEC. 31, 1907. N. E. CLARK.

MBTALWORKING MACHINE. APPLIOPATIQN FILED 123.13, 1901.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

(J-WOW Maia/ nu: uomus PETERS cm, WASHINGION, o. c.

Drafismam PATENTED DEC. 31 1907. N. B. CLARK.

METAL WORKING MACHINE. i APPLIOATION FILED APE.13, 1907.

3 SHEETS-BHEB1 3.

3 mm whoa W lME 624/11 Tu: NQRRIS PETERS C0 WASNINCYDN b c ting or lancing sheets or lates and is a divi-' To all whom it may concern:

ing at Plainville, Hartford county, Connec- NORRIS ELMORE CLARK, OF PLAINVILLE, 'CONNEGTICUT.

METAL-WORKING MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

rammed Dec.-31, 1907.

Original application filed February 23, 1906. Serial No. 302,406. Divided and this application filed April 13. 1907. Serial No. 368.112.

Be it known that I, Nonrus ELMORE CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal-Working Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to metal working tools and machines, and particularly for slitsional from 302,406,file February 23,1906.

One object is to provide simple and reli able mechanism for cutting short slits without overstraining the metal.

Another object is to provide cutters of great strength and durability.

. Another object is to cut the slits in staggered arrangement.

Another object is to operate two sets of cutters so as to roduce uniform and regular spacing of the sits.

Another object is to prepare a sheet for expansion, for instance, by means of punches.

Another object is to provide mechanism for forming a sheet with the slits opened out.

The accompanying two sheets of drawings shows the mechanism for slitting and opening and the product at differentstages of manufacture.

The mechanism consists of special punches and dies with strippers and rolls preferably as shownand as hereinafter more fully described. The product may be used as lathing or for grills. It may also be further treated and expanded so that the openings become larger or-are changed in shape if desired.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the slitting mechanism, the punch member being raised and the stripper plate being shown in partial section. Fig. 2 1s alongitudinal section and side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the die member and attached parts. Fig. 4 is a view of the under side of the punch member. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan View on a scale somewhat larger than that of the tools and showing the product of their operation at different stages. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same on the plane of the line XX, of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the plane of the line YY, of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a similar View on the plane of the line Z Z,

duced at each stroke of the of Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is a side view showing the feed rolls, the slitting mechanism and the rolls for flattening the slitted stoclr so as to jections'3, 3, and 4, 4; These punch projections have lon 'tudinalcuttin edges of substantially the ength of the sits to be produced, while their ends are concaved as. at 7 and 8' and the lower corners beveled so as to prevent rupturing or otherwise injuring the stock adjacent the ends of the slits. -;'The bridge or table 9, removably carried by the die member, is smaller than, but corresponds substantially to, the space between the ends of thepunch projections 7, 7, and 8, 8, and serves to hold the stock up in position and facilitate its feed. The distance between the adjacent ends of the punch projectio ns is approximately equal to one half the length of the slit plus one and one half times the length of the bond. The feed of the stock is approximately equal to the length of a slit plus the length of abond. Thelen thof slits and bonds bein selected, the nice anism is designed accordingly. The length of the die projections, so long as it is slightly greater than the punch pro'ections, is immaterial.

The stock 10, is ed, for instance, by suitable rolls 101, 101 (see Fig. 9). Fig. 5 shows a piece of stock after four strokes of thethat when the projections are withdrawn,- the elasticity 'of the metal of the depressedstrips causes a slight foreshortening which .raises or hows the strips 12, 12, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7. The slits 14, 14, are thus proress and the length of the bonds 15, 15, is etermined by spectively,

' r0 ls 18,

the feed of the stock between strokes of the press. After the second stroke of the press the punch projections 8, 8, are brought into action to split the ends of strips 11, and 12, at the slits 16, 16. The bonds 17, 17, connect the strands thus formed and the product in cross section appears as shown in Fig. 8. The action of the two sets of punch projections being simultaneous, the stock between the sets is somewhat flattened as shown in the center of Fi 6.

The action of the punc member 6, forces the strands of the strip down between the projections of the die member 2, and also wedges the strips between the projections 7, of the punch. To automatically release the strands from the punch and die, I provide strippers, shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 2. 20, is a plate having a series of openings corresponding to the punch projections. This late is guided on headed posts 21, 21, and orced upward by springs 22, 22. The strip is fed between the die 2, and the plate 20. In operation the punch pro'ections pass through the openings in the piate 20, and lance or slit the strip. When the punch is retracted, tending to carry with it the strip, the plate 20, forced upwardly by the sprlngs 22, 22, frees it automatically. 23, 23, are stripper bars located between the projections 3, 3, and 4, 4, of the die. The inner ends of the stripper bars extend under the edges of the table 9, while the outer ends are beneath rods 24, and 25. 26, and 27, are cam shafts mounted in the bed 1, and adapted to cooperate with the lifter pins 23. The cam shafts have crank arms 26 and 27 rewhich are connected by links 28,

and 29, to the gate or head '5. When the gate with the punch 6, moves down, the cam shafts 26, and 27 are rocked and permit the strippers 23, to fall, so that the punch may act. When the ate is retracted, the cam shafts are rotated to the position shown in Fig. 2, so as to operate the lifters and stripper'bars and force the metal of the strips from between the projections of the die.

The material as it comes from the slitting tools is of substantiall the same width as the original stock but s ightly foreshortened.

It is sometimes desirable to expand the slitted material. A partial ex ansion or openin of the slits is accomplis ed by means of 18, which are so'adjusted as to flatten it. Owing to the peculiar disposition of the raised and depressed portions and the angular disposition of the connecting portions, this flattening causes the strands to separate laterally. The degree or extent of this lateral expansion depends u on the gage of the stock and the character 0 the slitting, which, in turn, depend upon the proportions of the slitting mechanism and the stroke of the 1punch member. The material may be furt er expanded by suitable means, for mstance, punches, if desired. The rolls 18, 18, when used in conjunction with the slittin tools, also serve to feed the slitted materiafl away. I wish it understood, however, that my invention contemplates the action described whether accomplished in a single machine or whether the material is rolled in a subsequent operation which may or may not be accompanied by other operations.

What I claim is:

1. In a metal working machine, means for slitting a sheet and producing alternating bonds and bent strands and means for flattening the strands and opening the slits laterally.

2. Ina metal working machine, means for slitting a sheet of metal and forming strands in staggered arrangement, with parts of the strands inclined relative to the general plane of the sheet, and means for straightening the strands and opening the slits laterally.

- 3. A metal working machine, including means for forming alternating raised and de-' pressed strips side by side, and means for slitting parts of the strips to form strands connected at intervalsby bonds arranged in staggered relation.

4. In a metal working machine, means for roducing a series of parallel depressed strips aterally separated by similar raised strips and means for slitting the ends of the adjacent raised and depressed strips to form "strands in staggeredarrangement.

5. A metal working machine, including means for forming alternating raised and deressed strips, parts of which are slitted to orm strands connected at intervals by bonds arranged I in staggered relation, and means for o ening the slits laterally.

6. %n a metal working machine, means for producing a series of parallel depressed strips separated by similar raised strips, means for slitting the ends of the adjacent raised and depressed strips to form strands in staggered arran ement and means for opening the slits latera 1y.

7. Slitting mechanism, including punch and die members having complementary spaced projections with parallel cutting edges and concave on the ends.

8. Slitting mechanism, including a punch member having projections with parallel cutting edges, concave on the ends and beveled at the corners.

9. Slitting mechanism, including a punch member having two sets of spaced and staggered projections with square shouldered cutting edges terminating in s'har corners for preventing injury to the metal uring the punching cut. 1

10. Metal slitting mechanism, comprising punch and die members having sets of complementary s aced and staggered projections concave on t e ends.

11. Metal slitting mechanism, including a punch member having a plurality of projections substantially flat on the face and with parallel cutting edges, said projections being concave on the ends between the cutting edges.

12. Metal slitting mechanism, including a die member and a reci rocating punch member, and having a i eed passage between them, said punch member having a plurality of projections arranged side by side but spaced apart and having arallel cutting edges extending longitudineilly of the feed passage and terminating-in sharp corners for avoiding injury to the stock during the punching cut.

13. Metal slitting mechanism, including a die member and a reci rocating punch member, and having a eed passage between them, said punch member having a plurality of cutting projections arranged side by side but spaced a art and having aralle'l cutting edges exten ing longitudina ly of the feed passage, the ends of the cutting projections between the cutting edges being beveled.

14. A reciprocating punch member for slitting mechanism, having two sets of spaced projections with lateral cutting edges, the

- distance between the ends of the sets of projections being greater than one half of the length of a single projection, the projections of one set being staggered relative to the pro.

jections of the other set.

15. A reciprocating punch member for slitting sheet metal, comprising a lurality of sets of projections having 'para el cutting edges, the cutting edges of the projections of one set being arranged substantially in line with the longitudinal axes of the projections of the other set.

16. Slitting mechanism, including a reciprocating punch member having two sets of projections with cutting edges longitudinal of the direction of feed of the stock, the projections of one set alternating in lateral arrangement with the rojections of the. other set, the adjacent en s of the projections of the two sets being spaced apart.-

17. A reciprocating punch for slitting mechanism, comprising two sets of fiat ended.

projections having lateral cutting edges extending longitudinally, the projections of each set being laterally spaced apart and the two sets being longitudinally separated, the c1 tting edges of one set of projections bein'g s1 stantially in line with the center of the i1.- rvals between the projections of the other set.

18. Slitting mechanism, including a die member having two sets of spaced and stag gered projections rigidly connected, a plate or table between the ends of the two sets and a punch member.

19. Slitting mechanism, including a punch member having spaced rojections with lateral cutting edges, a is member having spaced projections, a stripper plate arranged between the two members yielding means for normally holding said plate up and strippers arranged between the die projections.

20. Slitting mechanism, including a punch member having spaced projections with lateral cutting edges, a die member having spaced projections, a stripper plate arranged between the two members and cam operated strippers arranged between the die projections.

21. Slitting mechanism, including a die member having two sets of spaced and relatively staggered projections rigidly con nected between the ends of the two. sets, strippers arranged between the projections and a punch member.

22. Slitting mechanism, including two sets of spaced and relatively staggered proj ections having lateral longitudinally extending cutting edges, strippers arranged between said projections and means for operating said strippers.

23. slitting mechanism, including punch and die members having two sets of 00-- operating spaced and relatively staggered projections, a stripper plate between the members, stripper bars between the projections of one member and means for operating said stripper bars.

24. Slitting mechanism, including punch and die members having projections with cutting edges, a stripper plate between said members, stripper bars between the die projections and means independent of said projections for operating said stripper bars.

25. Slitting mechanism, including unch and die members havingprojections wit cutting edges; a spring supported stripper plate between said members, stripper bars between, the (lie projections and means for operating said stripper bars.

26. In a slitting machine, a die member, a reciprocating punch member, means carried by said die and punch members for forming a plurality of alternating raised and depressed strips, and means carried by said members for slitting the ends of said strips to form strands connected in staggered arrangement.

27.'Slitting mechanism, comprising a die member, a reciprocating punch member, means carried by said members for producing a set of relatively short longitudinal slits connected by bonds and means carried by said members for splitting the bonds and parts of the strands longitudinally while another'set of slits is being produced by the first mentioned means and cam o erated stripper bars for releasing the stoc from both of said slitting means.

28. Slitting mechanism, including punch and die members, one of which is reciprocatory, complementary projections carried by said members for producing relatively short slits between alternating raised and depressed strips, and projections carried by said members for splitting theends of said strips.

31. Slitting mechanism, including sets of.

stationary and movable projecting cutters, a stripper plate for the movable cutters and separate means for automatically stripping the stationary cutters.

32. Slitting mechanism, including two sets of spaced and relatively staggered projections, a set of stripper bars arranged for each set of projections and means for automatically operating both sets of stripper bars.

33. Slitting mechanisrmincluding two sets .of spaced projections, a supporting table or plate between the two sets, stripper bars arranged between the individual projections and means for operating the strip er bars.

34. Slitting mechanism, inc uding two sets of spaced projections, stripper bars arranged between the projections and normally substantially flush with the upper surfaces thereof, and means for causing said bars to be depressed prior to the slitting action.

35. Slittmg mechanism, including means sets of spaced an for producing a series of relatively short slits and bending some of the strands, and means for partially straightening the bent strands and producing another series of relatively short slits alternating with the first series.

36. ha slitting machine, punch and die members having two sets of complementary spaced and relatively staggered cutting projections, stripper bars arranged between the projections 0 one of said members, and means for causing the retraction of said bars independently of the complementary projections.

37. In a slitting machine, punch and die members having sets of complementary spaced and relatively staggered cutting projections, stripper bars arranged between the projections of one of said members, and means for raising said bars to a predetermined position after the slittin action.

38. In a slittin machine, a ie bed, two

5 relatively staggered cuttingproj ections carried thereby, stripper bars arranged between said projections, and means carried by said bed and co-operating with said bars for controlling their movement.

39. In a slitting machine, a die bed having a set of cutting projections, stripper bars located between said projections, a reciprocating head having a set of punching projections above said bars, an oscillating shaft carried by said bed and cooperating with said bars, and means of connection between said head and said shaft.

NORRIS ELMO RE CLARK. 

